Vacuum discharge vessel



July 19, 1932. w, DALLENBACH 1,868,410

VACUUM DISCHARGE VESSEL 7 Filed May 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1932- w; DALLENBACH 1,868,410

VACUUM DISCHARGE VESSEL Filed May 15-, 1925 2 Sheets-Shee 2 W jpallenba q Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES WALTER DALLENIBACH, F ZURIGIEI, SWITZERLAND VACUUM DISCHARGE'VESSEL Application filed May 15, 1926, Serial No. 109,245, and in Germany May ZZ 19 25.

This invention relates to metal vacuumdischarge vessels and has for its object to lead in and secure the electrodes in such ves-.

sels in an improved manner. As compared with other modes of making a vacuum-tight connection of aninsulator with the wall ofa metal vessel, the direct fusing of the metal wall with a glass insulator has considerable advantages. A 10 defect which is of importance particularly with leading-in conductors for large currents is, however, the Weakness of glass to mechanical stresses, such as may occur particularly owing to shocks due to transport, 35 erection or short circuits. This defect can be partly obviated by constructively separating the electrode attachment which has to withstand mechanical stresses, from the leading-in conductor. Such arrangements are known. It has also been proposed to connect the electrode by a yielding connection to the leading-in conductor. The transmission of shocks on the electrode to the lead ing-in conductor is thereby made considerably more diificult and so the mechanical stresses of the insulator which connects the leading-in conductor vacuum-tight with the wall of the vessel are reduced. Such a yield ing connection has constructive difficulties, 0 however, owing to the cross-section which it must have in relation to the conductor. Also the two places of contact of the yielding connection with the electrode on the one hand, and with the current-carrying conductor on the other hand, are disadvantageous in that they complicate the entire arrangement and may cause additional heat to be generated.

In a device according to this invention, the 40 electrode is secured in and current is led into a metallic vacuum-discharge vessel constructively separately from theelectrode, but ac cording to the invention the current-carrying conductor is insulated by the interposition of a yielding, preferably flexible, piece of the wall and connected vacuum-tight to the wall proper of the vessel.

By such an arrangement the insulator which connects the current-carrying conductor vacuum-tight with the wall of the vessel,

on the wall of the vessel.

is likewise protected veryfmuch better than heretofore from mechanical stresses. 'This lnsulator is now no longer interposed rigidly between the two parts in question, but is 0011- nected'with the wall of the vessel, or with the leading-in conductor, or with both, by a yielding piece of wall,;for example a piece of flexible tube. As this piece of wall,-particu-' larly such apiece of tube,does not take part in conducting the current, itsthickne'ss may be only small, which in'turn tends to make it flexible for the described purpose. A. further advantage of the entire arrangement is that the electrodeor its neck can be connected rigidly with the leading-in conductor or can itself be led out as such.

In the accompanyingdrawingswherein an approved embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a vessel showing the invention applied to use.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification of the invention.

According to the drawings,-VV designates the wall of the vessel and E an electrode hav ing a neck H that extends outwards and serves for leading in the current. I designates an insulator which while insulating the electrode from the vessel rigidly; supports it At L an elastic tube F is connected vacuum-tight to the neck H of the electrode. The tube F is fused vacuum-tight at its lower end to the glass insulator G which is connected in like manner 8 with one end of a piece of tube R, whereof the other end is connected vacuum-tight to the wall W. When the electrode is subjected to shocks the elasticv tubular member F prevents the glass insulator G from being subjected to too severe mechanical stresses.

Instead of being inserted at F the elastic or resilient piece of wall can be interposed at R, or at both F and R. The latter arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 2, in which figure the insulator T is also shown as being ar ranged outside the vacuum vessel instead of inside. Also, the insulator I could be made of two or more parts, instead of in one piece,

in which case it'can be partly inside and partly outside the vacuum vessel. In order to protect the insulator from too severe stresses owing to blows and shocks it may be supported elastically against the vessel, for example, by means of suitable packing, instead of rigidly as illustrated.

The invention is particularly applicable to electrodes, and especially to both anodes as Well as cathodes of mercury vapor rectifiers of large capacity and having vessels of metal. a A

I claim 1. .In combination with the metal Wall of o a vacuum discharge vessel and a leading-in conductor, means outside of the vessel supporting and insulating in a nonvacuum-tight manner said conductor on said/ Walland means separate from said first means for insulating andresiliently connecting said conductor in a vacuum-tight manner to the metal wall of the vessel. 7

2. In. combination with the metal Wall of a vacuum discharge vessel and a leading-in conductor, means supporting and insulating in a nonvacuum-tight,manner said conductoron said well and means separate fromsaid first means comprising an insulator of glass fused vacuum tight to portions of the wall, said portions being resilient and. connected respectively to said conductor and to the main metal Wall of the vessel, in a vacuum tight manner.

1 DR. WALTER DALLENBACH. 

